Parachute opener



Feb. 17, 1931. I l A H, REED 1,793,447

PARAGHUTE OPENER Filed Jan. 5. 1929 INVENTOR.

12x/MMM ATTORNEY.

l Patented Feb. 17, 1931l 'p ANDREW H.' nEEnorkANsAs CITY, MrssoURnAssieivon-or :onu-mman@ sAMUEn A"an corFMAmoNn-f man To CHARLES' w. TURNER, .am `101msinceri To muvo.

GOFFMAN, ALL orKANsAs, CITY, 'MIssoURI l a PARAoHUTEloPENE-n c A'pplrireation'leafranary 5,1929. serialNo. 0,471. l.

My invention relates to 4improvements in Aparachute openers in which atiming device isk ca'rriedwithin hollow Vspokes of a band that vbut vat a timed distance of drop from an air f, 10

serves as a place of attachment'for the cords subtended from the edge of the umbrella, of a parachute; and the objects of my invention are, first, to. provide a means'for spreading the edges'of the parachute umbrella instantly ship; and second,'to provide such means ythat requires no winding bya key, or crank; and third, yto provide such means thatmay besetA ready to be operated by'simply droppmgthe parachute from an ,air shipgand fourth, to

provide 'a springing Yaction attheltime the umbrellatakes the air tofslow the falling speed oftheparachut'ewith its burden, and

, drawings in which-M p Fig. 1, isv a plan View of mymvention with thus lessen the shock on the vparachutewhen the air lls the umbrella. Y

I attan these objects by the mechanisms illustrated in theaccompanying one sheet of all parts in. locked, or set`, position to be used for all purposes kfor which it is intended; and

Fig. 2, is a side 'cross-sectional elevation ofl thesame arrangementfshown in Fig, 1, vbut with the open position of the armsV shown in dotted lines; and Fig. 3, is a perspective view,

in broken section, lof the type of hinge employed for the'openmg arms and the opening `springs in position thereingrand Fig. 4, is a `such as an air ship or from a, building, or froml perspective view' of the timer rack with the release pin shown in dottedy lines above and the setting Vthumb piece carried underv the` rack. Y

Similar numerals refer to similar partsl throughout the several views.

fllhe umbrella `of the parachute and the air ship arenot shown inthe drawings sincemy1 l, invention is adaptable to any type of um-v brella and may be droppedfrom any object,

,Y aships mast.

@The band 1, Fig. 1, to which `Cerca .2 are v*attached through holes by knotting theends ofthe cords, carries spokes arranged at right angles to each otherthat are ormedintegral with the band. Spoke 15a is a mere fill-infor strength only and it is joined to spokes 16 and 16a bytwo curved ,politnnsnearthe' center of` band 1y to form y:azcentral circular opening. Spokes 16 vand '16a placed opposite each Yother arehollow. to carryafyspringxl actionof the pendulumand,esfiapementmech-v anism which lis composedof gear 19, scape-y ment wheel 2O and pendulum`22..

The ,Y pendulum 22 serve's lto 'l step y. olif -.the movement of rack 18 i speed vof which is ,controlledfby theweightof the two nuts on 22 to bind themrtogethr Securely?on'fthe.,pen

that are both employed l y 6,5 i

in interruptedstepsy .the v i dulum'in anypositionalongjits length, which i lmay be ascertained bytest, to` time the travel of rack 18, which is pressed byspringlevend .1s in mesh with gear 19 thatfis ,turnableon shaft 26 that alsofcarries the scapeme'ntwheel 2O turnably thereon, which, receives power from springllato operate` penfdulumQZ by j meansof hubratchet 2,7 formed on the engagf ing hubs ofgear`19 and scapement wheel-,20.

kThe pendulum 'may a fefof anyv type vnow well known andin use in clocks.

"To'setmy invention ready-tofbe dropped vfromjan air'shlp so it willLopena parachute umbrella at al tion and spring 14 is expanded until the endl of the rackis against'the end 16?) ofthe hollowspace in kspoke 16a5andfslots A35of the timing rack lregister with slots in spokes 16 and `16ato permit lips 31 offarm- 8 toV pass down -far enough sojthata movement v predetermined,lengthoftime after it isy dropped, the cords 2,34,' and Y6 are all brought together i'nafmass'lso that Vthey all are enclosed in the circularjopening of'rack 18 in compression spring 14 will slip Y the rack over lips 31 .and hold arm 8,down and the lips B0 of arm VV.8, `being` 'over lips 29 of arm 9 vand with :both arms 7 being held d own byr arm 8- the cords 'willl have all beenfbroughtuto ajcentral lposition within band 1,',and vthe umbrella, Anot shown-inthe drawings, that thecordsmay be attached to will be brought close to thecenterof band al,

' Rack 18 vis pressed against yspring 14 vby means of thumb-button 34, Figs.- 4" and '2, till hole 33 will register with one oi' holes`36 .in the wall of spoke 16a, and pin32 will then venter-hole 83 ofthe rackl and hold it, to

gether with all arms Vand Ycords Vready tobe released when pin 32, which is attached by cord 23, Fig. 1, to the air ship and which' will be pulled out of the holes 33 and 36 vand remain with the air ship when the para chute is dropped, whereupon spring 14, Aat 17 will press rack 18 along and revolve gear 19 and, by means `of ratchet 27,'*revolve scapement wheel 2Q lso that pendulum `22 ymaystep on in Yinterrupted steps the movementY of rack 18 ltill slot/ S35 are in line with other slots in spokes 16 vandlal through which the lips 31 of arm 8 may passpand the two' arms `7` and armsiS and 9 which arepivotedjon V f screws' lljwill. spring open by thefa'cti'on of springs 10, as Yshofy'vnnby dotted lines in Fig.

v umbrella sethe air 'will readily catch under and openV it, which will produce a shockl that vvillbe` minimiz'edbysprings 10 and ,lessen thefdange'rvof snapping the cordsby i 4o of rack 18 s'othatth'e inventionmay be set the'fshock when ythe parachute carries a'heavy The timing is' f readily provided -for by l.holes i3d-being placed ,in line so Va pin 32 may enter hole 33 'of rack 18-and holdit inV tlrdro'pV a burden carriedfby aparach'ute so that the parachute will open atany desired distance above' the ground-:when dropped kr'oina given altitude to acilitatefa'ccura'cy inhittirrgl a landing field; instead ofi' b'ody f watcher the like. A

The winding upproces'smr, rather', pushing rack 18 against spring'14, is made pbssible,

iandyery simple, bya ratchet 27, 2,

on'the engaging hubs of gear-,19 and scapey ment wheelv 2O and" coil spring 28 V'which permits the geartorise out of the ratchet and turn when 'rack 18 is moved toward spring f 14 'without operating 'pendulumj 22 for' the gear getting out of mesh with the rack, or

requiring the pendulum to step a backward movement fot scapement *wheel 20.

The hollowjspaces 1n `spolfes 15, 16 'and 16a,Z are closed by a cover'plate lwhichis i held in place by pivot screw 25 ot the pendulum and shaft screw 26 ofthe 'gear' and escapement wheel.; The Vcover Vplate .'24 is slotted vto' accommodate the free movement ofthumb piece 340i rack 18 which carries' it riveted thereto by two stems to stiifenit to withstand pressure against a heavy spring.

y14 which may be readily replacedfby removing plug 13, with a heavier or lighter spring. It maybe seen that the flat springs 10 may belreplaced by heavier or lighter springs,

'if 'found to4 be necessary, by removing pivot screwsV 11 and inserting fixed ends 10a ofthe springs -into slots provided to@them.inthe Y ndefsde vOf the, SPQRG'S the Springs ,10eme held in .proper place between lugs-8a and fin 8?) within the4 arinsmin bothopen and*V closed position. Having thus .llclaifm` 1. In a parachute opener, a spring operatedcoiidbnnching 'that' is pivotallyfcari are forcedby: said springsinto 'openposition:14 Y2, and carry cordsf3, 4, 5 and 6 with them vand liberate cords 2, and thereby spread the '-springaet/uated, pendulum controlled, timingl rack, Vthe teeth of whichrnesh rwith the fully described my invention,

teeth cfa gear that ratchethub inengagement with another ratchet' hub' carried on the fsame'shaift onthe'hub off'an escape:

nient wheelA which -is intermittently vengaged by said'pendulum vto pe itI they movement `'ot'said timingraek by interrupted steps, substan'tia'lly asshownanddescrlbed. r

In a'paraehute pener, a' timing rack fearredii hollow speke'sjwthin a circular band;y external means `vforf moving vsaidV rack laterally tol compress a spring forlts reverse on a b'unching'arm" whenin released position', means' tor .lateral movement of saidV rack to engagesaid lips :on 'said' bunching arm, and

escapement means for stepping said rack laterally back to release positionto releaseV said bunching arm.

4. In a parachute opener, a circular band, hollow spokes carried thereon, timing means carried in said spokes'to hold opening arms that bunch the lcords of a parachute into a,

centralinass within the .said circular bandV movement,` s l'otsin'said 'rack to receive lips i to: close the umbrella ofthe parachute, and

means for setting the timing mechanism in moti'o'n'by dropping theclo'sed parachute free i Strom an air ship, and means for liberating the hunched cordsV andV forcing the parachute umbrella to open.

ANDREW H. REED'. 

